Drain system and apparatus.



1 PATENTED NOV. 5," 1907.

J. F. GROSS.

DRAIN SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

'APPLIGATION I'ILED JULYll. 1906.

THE NORRIS PETERS ca.. wnsnmcmu. n. c.

FFICE.

JOSEPH F. GROSS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

DRAIN SYSTEM AND APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907'.

Application filed July 11, 1906- Serial 110325.594.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn F. Gnoss, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, county'of New York, State of New York,(post-office address 151 West 'lhirty-iirst street) have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Drain Systems and Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in drainage systems or apparatus.

A great many accidents have more recently occurred consisting ofexplosions in drains or sewers resulting in injury to adjacent propertyand persons, for instance, by the upheaval of man-hole covers.

It is my object to prevent such accidents.

The explosions have been carefully investigated and from localconditions it has been determined that they are caused by the pressureof hydrocarbonous vapors. Compounds, such as gasolene, benzene andalcohol, are introduced into the sewers by accident, or otherwise, and,becoming vaporized, furnish highly combustible mixtures with the airwhich is present. The volatile compounds are often traceable tostations, such as a garage, where they are used for cleaning and for thebasis of the combustible mixtures for internal combustion motors orengines. The compounds pass into the sewers through the ordinary drainsand sometimes even from the street where they are spilled or leak fromstorage or transportation tanks. I have found it possible to prevent thepassage of such explosive mixture forming compounds into the sewer. Thisis accomplished by taking advantage of the low specific gravity of suchcompounds or of their volatility or both. A separator tank, cistern, orother receptacle is provided intermediate the drain inlet and the sewerfrom which the compound is removed either continuously by a pump,ejector or evaporation or at intervals by buckets, depending upon thesize of the receptacle, the quantity of discharge and other conditionsvariable with different cases and requirements.

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the installation of myinvention. Fig. 2 shows a modification of the separator.

The building 1, has a floor 2, which is drained into sewer 3, throughpipe or conduit 4. Between the inlet of the drain 4 and the sewer 3 is areceptacle 5 of any suitable nature which is preferably of considerablesize and buried in the earth. In the preferred form of the invention asecond receptacle or compartment 6 is provided, the outlet from which isconnected to the sewer 4. The two receptacles are connected by a siphontube having the legs 7 and S.

Normally the main receptacle contains water to the level 9 shown indotted lines. When the water level rises to the bend of the siphon tubeit begins to discharge into the auxiliary receptacle 6 and thence flowsinto the sewer. As soon as the liquid falls to the level of the end ofthe short leg 8 of the tube the siphon action ceases. Hence there willalways be a depth of liquid in the main receptacle equal to the height.The lower end of tube Sis above the bottom of receptacle 5, say,eighteen inches. Should any gasolene, or other volatile liquid pass intothe receptacle, it will evaporate or may be otherwise removed throughoutlet 10.

Most hydrocarbons are lighter than water and will float on the top andhence may be mechanically removed automatically, for instance, by anejector. The float 11, and parts carried thereby, is of greater specificgravity than the compound which it is desired to prevent entering thesewer and may be vertically guided on the rods 12-12. The ejector iscarried by the float and consists of the inlet pipe 13 and the outletpipe 14, which telescope in pipes 15 and 16 respectively. The valve 17is controlled by the float 18 which is adapted to rise and fall on thevolatile liquid whose level is shown by the dot and dash line 19. Theejector may be operated by compressed air or other pressure, forinstance from reservoir 20, and discharge the liquid through outlet 16as a spray at the roof or the liquid may be recovered in tank 21 throughvalve 22. When the volatile liquid level falls to the level of theejector the float 18 automatically shuts off the supply of operatingpressure. The liquid may alsg be removed in the form of vapor forinstance by a fan or pump 23 operated by a suitable motor for instancethe windmill 24. Any well known means may be provided so that thewindmill can turn to receive the most effective pressure of the wind.The suction caused by the fan or air pump will draw air down through thedrain pipe 4 (or other pipe) which will thus bubble up through theliquid and expedite the evaporation.

In cases where there is any likelihood of the discharge of anyconsiderable quantity of volatile compound it is desirable that the leg7 of the siphon extend down close to the bottom of the receptacle 5 sothat there will be less chance of the volatile compound siphoning intothe sewer. There may in fact be a quantity of, say, gasolene in thereceptacle of a depth equal to the difference in elevation of the endsof the siphon before any gasolene can discharge. With a receptacle ofreasonable size it is thus possible to permit normal drainage and stillprevent the entrance of light compounds into the sewer.

When the ejector is used it is possible to remove oils of low specificgravity which are not volatile and would not be dangerous in the sewersbut whose value would make it profitable to recover.

In the form shown in Fig. 2, the outlet from the receptacle 5 to thesewer 3 is controlled by a valve 25 which is closed when the water levelis as shown. The float 26 has a greater specific gravity than thecompound which it is desired to separate from the water so that increasein the quantity of, say gasolene, will not affect the float. Thegasolene may be removed as desired, for instance, by evaporation orsuction, through outlet 10, air being admitted through inlet 27. Thewater will not begin to discharge until the level rises, lifts the float26 and opens the outlet valve 25. There will always be water in thereceptacle up to the level 9. With this form it is absolutely impossibleto discharge any light liquid into the sewer.

What I claim is:

1. A separator for a drainage system, comprising a receptacle having aliquid inlet, a siphon for permitting the discharge of water when apredetermined level is reached, a float adapted to ride on the surfaceof the water, and means mounted on said float for removing a lightercompound.

2. A separator for a drainage system, comprising a re ceptacle having aninlet for water and a volatile compound, an outlet lor said volatilecompound in a gaseous state, an outlet for the water comprising a siphonfor re moving the water from the bottom of the receptacle when the levelreaches a predetermined height, a float adapted to ride on the surfaceof the water. and means carried on the float for removing the liquidvolatile compound.

3. A separator for a drainage system, comprising a receptacle having aninlet for water and a volatile compound, an outlet for said volatilecompound in a gaseous state, an outlet for the water comprising a siphonfor removing the water from the bottom of the receptacle when the levelreaches a predetermined height, a float adapted to ride on the surfaceof the water, and a pipe carried by said float to remove the volatilecompound.

4. A separator for a drainage system, comprising a receptacle having aninlet for water and a volatile comound, an outlet for said volatilecompound in a gaseous state, an outlet for the water comprising a siphonfor re moving the water from the bottom of the receptacle when the levelreaches a predetermined height, a fioat adapted to ride on the surfaceof the water, and means carried by the float in communication with theexterior of the receptacle for removing the volatile compound.

A separator for a drainage system, comprising a receptacle having aninlet for water and a volatile compound, an outlet for said volatilecompound in a gaseous state, an outlet for the water comprising a siphonfor removing the water from the bottom of the receptacle when the levelreaches a predetermined height, a float adapted to ride on the surfaceof the water, and means carried by the float in communication with theexterior of the receptacle to remove the volatile compound, said meansbeing capable of adapting itself to the changing position of the float.

('3. In a drainage system, a separator located between the inlet of thedrain pipe and the sewer, comprising a recepiacle normally containing aminimum quantity of lquid, a siphon for permitting the discharge ofwater when a predetermined level is reached, a float adapted to ride onthe surface of the water, and means mounted on the float butindependently operable therefrom for removing a lighter compound.

ceptacle for water and a volatile compound, a siphon ex tending throughthe wall of said receptacle to a point near the bottom of the interiorthereof, a float, guides therefor, and means carried by said float forremoving said volatile compound.

JOSEPH F. GROSS.

Witnesses (fr-us. A. lmim, lloa'r. S. ALLY).

I. A separator for a drainage system, comprising a re

